Transmissions

Talkhouse Podcast Network
  • 0.0 (0)
  • MUSIC COMMENTARY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Weekly interviews with musicians, artists, authors, and filmmakers presented by Aquarium Drunkard.

  1. All One Song :: Simon Joyner on "After The Gold Rush"

    1 DAY AGO

    All One Song :: Simon Joyner on "After The Gold Rush"

    Hello and welcome back to All One Song, a Neil Young podcast presented by Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions with your host Tyler Wilcox, a longtime Aquarium Drunkard contributor and Neil Young fanatic. And I’m guiding you through a second season of talking with some of our favorite musicians, writers and artists about their favorite Neil Young song.  Pretty much every one of our guests complain about one thing: having to pick just one Neil Young song. His is a catalog of such consistency and strength that it can feel virtually impossible to have just one favorite. So as a disclaimer, all of our guests could’ve chosen maybe a dozen other songs. Or more. We just cruelly forced them to whittle it down to one.  But we wonder: what is Neil Young’s favorite Neil Young song? Maybe it’s just the newest song he’s written. But if you look at songs that Neil’s performed most over the years…well, maybe that’s a clue of some kind. “After the Gold Rush” is certainly up there in terms of live outings; the crucial Neil head website sugarmtn.org tells us that, as of today, he’s played it 698 times since its debut in the fall of 1970. He’s rarely left “Gold Rush” out of setlists for very long over the decades — it’s definitely a fan favorite. But hey, maybe Neil just really likes it too.  And why shouldn’t he? The title track to After the Gold Rush is a total classic. And it has so much packed into a relatively compact space. In just three compact verses, it takes the listener on an incredible trip: past, present, future. It’s an ecology song, a dream song, a myth song, a burnout song, a time-travel song, a sci-fi song, an apocalypse song. And no matter how many times we hear it, “After the Gold Rush” still seems to contain untold mysteries within.  Today, our guest is Simon Joyner, who chose "After the Gold Rush" to discuss. The Omaha-based singer-songwriter has a career stretching back to the early 1990s; you might call him a songwriter’s songwriter—at least he’s got a ton of peer admiration. But even if he remains somewhat under the radar, trust me that if you pick up any one of Simon’s many albums, you’ll be rewarded with heartbreaking melodies, cut-to-the-quick lyrics and imaginative arrangements. Simon has a new one coming out—his 19th studio album — on May 22. It’s called Tough Love, and it’s full of everything that makes Joyner one of our best voices. But before that, don’t miss Simon’s very own beautiful cover of “After the Gold Rush,” which we’ll play for you at the end of our conversation. It’s part of a newly recorded Lagniappe Session from Simon and friends — and guess what? It’s all Neil Young songs.

    1hr 13min
  2. All Song Song :: Scott Bunn on "Boom Boom Boom"

    22 APR

    All Song Song :: Scott Bunn on "Boom Boom Boom"

    Welcome back to All One Song. We're spending the spring of 2026 talking to some great musicians, writers and artists about their one favorite Neil Young song. But even if the concept is simple, one thing is for sure: these conversations go all over the place, kind of like a long Old Black solo on “Like Hurricane.” And that’s how it should be, right?  Now, host Tyler Wilcox has been contributing to Aquarium Drunkard for well over a decade now, serving as the site’s resident Neil Young aficionado. But he's got competition! Scott Bunn is one of AD’s excellent writers, and his Shakey knowledge is extensive.  Over on his Recliner Notes blog, Scott has written a bunch of perceptive and insightful essays that dig into the undiscovered corners of Neil’s catalog. Go over to ReclinerNotes.com.   For his All One Song appearance, Scott picked a truly deep cut: “Boom Boom Boom.” This is a song that you might know better … though not much better…as “She’s A Healer,” which closed out Neil’s 2002 LP Are You Passionate?, recorded with Booker T and the MG’s. But “Boom Boom Boom” is the original Crazy Horse version of the song, which was cut in the year 2000. It collected dust (or rust?) in the vaults for more than two decades, but eventually showed up as a highlight of Toast, the legendary lost Neil and Crazy Horse album that was finally released in 2022. It’s all a little confusing … and hopefully our conversation doesn’t muddy the waters even further.  But “Boom Boom Boom” is a good reminder that there are so many different and diverse eras of Neil’s career; some may be more fruitful and enjoyable than others, but the journey itself is the point. As we look back over 60-plus years of output, it’s a blast to put the pieces of the puzzle together, to see what weird pictures emerge.

    58 min
  3. All One Song :: Brigid Mae Power on "Albuquerque"

    8 APR

    All One Song :: Brigid Mae Power on "Albuquerque"

    Neil Young's "Albuquerque." A Ditch Era classic, it was recorded with the Santa Monica Flyers in 1973 and released on 1975's Tonight's the Night. Like the Southwestern town its named for, "Albuquerque" is stark, beautiful, and lonesome—leaving in its wake melancholy and a craving for fried eggs and country ham. Joining us to discuss the various landscapes of "Albuquerque" is Brigid Mae Power. Since her debut a little over a decade ago, the Galway-based singer songwriter has built up a visionary and cosmic discography. Tune in as we explore the contours of yet another number in the ever-rolling "All One Song" saga.

    53 min
  4. All One Song :: Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo) on "Big Crime"

    1 APR

    All One Song :: Ira Kaplan (Yo La Tengo) on "Big Crime"

    Hello again! Welcome back to All One Song, a Neil Young podcast presented by Aquarium Drunkard Transmissions. Last summer, we spent a couple months talking to some of our favorite musicians, writers, and artists about their favorite Neil Young songs … and it was so much fun that we’re doing it all over again with a bunch more great guests. Put on your Rust-o-Vision glasses, Neil freaks … we’re going deep into the Shakey-verse one more time.  Our guest today selected what is the newest Neil Young song—as of this recording—that has made it out into the world: “Big Crime.” This angry, brutal and unsparing attack on ICE, Trump and the MAGAsphere was debuted last summer on the US leg of Neil’s tour with the Chrome Hearts. And he’s played it at every one of his shows since. “Big Crime” pulls no punches. Last year, the long-running trio Yo La Tengo kicked off their epic eight-night Hanukkah run at the Bowery Ballroom in New York City with a blistering version of “Big Crime,” likely becoming the first band to cover it. So of course, we’re honored to have Yo La Tengo guitarist and vocalist Ira Kaplan on All One Song today to talk about this new Neil song.  Yo La Tengo — do they need an introduction? In our opinion, they are simply the best American rock band of the last four decades. Ira Kaplan, Georgia Hubley and James McNew have built up a consistently wonderful body of work. Like Neil, it’s a career filled with twists and turns, side quests and sideways moves. But it’s all purely Yo La Tengo, whether they’re breaking your heart with hushed ballads or stretching out on feedback-fueled jams. Their latest album, 2023’s This Stupid World, is yet another masterpiece. And of course, they have a long history with Neil Young … the b-side of their second single was a sweet cover of “For The Turnstiles.”

    53 min
  5. Transmissions :: Cochemea

    17/12/2025

    Transmissions :: Cochemea

    This week’s conversation with Cochemea Gastelum brings our season to a close. The saxophonist and bandleader joins us to discuss his beautiful LP Ancestros Futuros, out now on Daptone Records. Mining his Indigenous roots, soul jazz, and funk, it's a fantastic album, and it completes a trilogy that began with 2019’s All My Relations, continued with 2021’s Baca Sewa, and now concludes.  Cochemea’s resume is lengthy. He worked extensively with the late soul singer Sharon Jones as part of her Dap Kings ensemble and has played with the Budos Band, Antibalas, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress, Archie Shepp, Public Enemy, the Roots, David Byrne, and more. Genre-hopping comes naturally to the San Diego-raised saxophonist, but the cultural conversation that occurs on these records is especially unique, and it was a pleasure to have him join us to discuss it.  Transmissions is created in partnership with the Talkhouse Podcast Network. We’re brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquarium Drunkard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an independent music media crew headed by Justin Gage. Over at Aquarium Drunkard, you’ll gain access to 20 years of music writing, playlist, essays, mixtapes, radio special, podcasts, videos and more.

    1hr 3min
  6. Transmissions :: Mike Ayers (The Untold Story of '90s Jam Bands)

    10/12/2025

    Transmissions :: Mike Ayers (The Untold Story of '90s Jam Bands)

    The '90s were a strange time. From Gregorian chants to swing bands, you never knew what would make it onto the radio. But some of the strangest groups to improbably infiltrate the mainstream came from the post-Grateful Dead jam band scene. Our guest today is Mike Ayers, author of ⁠Sharing in the Groove: The Untold Story of the '90s Jam Band Explosion and the Scene that Followed. ⁠ The book, an oral history, is really a blast. It covers all the big players of the era: Phish, Blues Traveler, Spin Doctors, Widespread Panic, Dave Matthews Band, but Ayers takes it to the next level by expanding the definition of "jam band" to include Medeski, Martin and Wood, Greyboy and the acid jazz scene, New Orleans funk band Galactic, and John Zorn and the Knitting Factory downtown NYC scene, and much more. This episode, guest host (and Transmissions audio editor) Andrew Horton, Jason P. Woodbury, and Ayers sit down to hash out the era in which even Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo embraced their jammiest free improv tendencies. What are the limits of the whole "jam band" thing really? Come along with us as we dig into Sharing in the Groove. Transmissions is created in partnership with the Talkhouse Podcast Network. We’re brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquarium Drunkard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an independent music media crew headed by Justin Gage. Over at Aquarium Drunkard, you’ll gain access to 20 years of music writing, playlist, essays, mixtapes, radio special, podcasts, videos and more.

    1hr 15min
  7. Transmissions :: Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate)

    03/12/2025

    Transmissions :: Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate)

    Welcome back to Transmissions with Jason P. Woodbury. This week on the show, a return guest: Steve Wynn of The Dream Syndicate and solo fame. He last joined the show part of a trio: in 2018, we taped with him, Howe Gelb of Giant Sand, and Robyn Hitchcock live at the KXCI studio at Hotel Congress in Tucson Arizona. That talk also made it into the Transmissions feed again in 2020.  This time, Steve is with us to discuss the 40th anniversary reissue of The Dream Syndicate’s second album, 1984’s Medicine Show, which has been reissued in expanded form by Fire Records. Produced by Blue Öyster Cult and Clash associate Sandy Pearlman, the album found the Syndicate jumping from the smaller Slash indie label to A&M. But it also found Wynn shifting his songwriting approach into darker territory, embracing a kind of pulp fiction, hardboiled crime aesthetic that paired well with the group’s rangy, intense sound, which had been amplified and solidified during the tours that followed the band’s debut,  1982’s The Days of Wine and Roses.  Wynn is a tremendous conversationalist, and this convo opened us up to plenty of fascinating terrain, from record store lore to interactions with bands like R.E.M. and U2, as well as lots of behind the scenes info on Medicine Show. Transmissions is created in partnership with the Talkhouse Podcast Network. We’re brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquarium Drunkard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an independent music media crew headed by Justin Gage. Over at Aquarium Drunkard, you’ll gain access to 20 years of music writing, playlist, essays, mixtapes, radio special, podcasts, videos and more.

    1hr 11min
  8. Transmissions :: Steve Von Till

    26/11/2025

    Transmissions :: Steve Von Till

    Welcome back to Transmissions. This week: Steve Von Till, of sludge legends Neurosis, the tribal ambient spin-off Tribes of Neurot, solo albums under this own name, and the psych folk project Harvestman. He runs the independent label, Neurot Recordings. And as if all that isn’t enough, he’s also a poet, and an educator—when he’s not playing music, he’s bringing knowledge to the next generation, working as a fourth grade teacher in North Idaho. If you’ve been listening to Transmissions for awhile, you know that we’re hardly dogmatic when it comes to genres, but we don’t often feature artists who could be classified as metal. But that’s part of what makes Von Till such an interesting guest—his own music certainly qualifies as “heavy,” but it’s shot through with influences from very much within the AD canon: krautrock, ambient, folk, haunted country rock. His latest is a solo LP, the piano and synth drenched Alone in a World of Wounds. It is full of songs that, to hear Von Till put it, work as expressions of his soul, his heart, mind, his “earthly being and the whatever unearthly bits…connect with it all.” In addition to his work with Neurosis and Harvestman, this talk focuses in on the connection between humans and their natural surroundings, his work with the indigenous suicide prevention campaign Firekeeper Alliance, and some reflections on how his early punk days made him peers with Green Day and Operation Ivy—not often bands you hear mentioned in relation to Von Till. We are pleased to share this conversation as we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, a time to reflect on our place in relation to each other and to the land itself. We hope you enjoy it. Transmissions is created in partnership with the Talkhouse Podcast Network. We’re brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Aquarium Drunkard⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, an independent music media crew headed by Justin Gage. Over at Aquarium Drunkard, you’ll gain access to 20 years of music writing, playlist, essays, mixtapes, radio special, podcasts, videos and more.

    1hr 33min
See All (284)

Trailer

About

Weekly interviews with musicians, artists, authors, and filmmakers presented by Aquarium Drunkard.

Information

More From Talkhouse Podcast Network

You Might Also Like